Fake Habib Arrested for Sexually Abusing 8 Female Students at Semarang Islamic Boarding School, Threatened Them with Financial Hardship

Police have arrested a man claiming to be a habib for sexually molesting eight female students at an Islamic boarding school in the Susukan area of Semarang Regency, Central Java. The suspect, identified by the initials AJS, 56, was initially a guest at the boarding school. “Over time, the suspect served at the school, then claimed to be a habib,” said Semarang Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Bodia Teja Lelana at the Semarang Police headquarters. The suspect’s depraved acts were carried out between 2023 and 2024. He used religious pretexts to facilitate his actions, and his victims were all underage female students. “The incidents occurred from May 2023 until the end of November 2024. The suspect enticed his victims by saying that if they refused, they would face financial hardship and commit a sin,” Bodia stated. The case was eventually reported in May 2025. Police then forcibly apprehended the suspect. Authorities recorded at least eight female victims, aged between 13 and 14 years old. “On 2 March 2026, a case review was conducted and the suspect was formally named. Following the designation, investigators arrested and detained the suspect,” he added.